


I Need You To Leave

by RoyallyJeleanor



Category: The Royals (TV 2015)
Genre: F/M, Jaspenor - Freeform, Jeleanor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-13
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-07 19:29:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,314
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6821119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RoyallyJeleanor/pseuds/RoyallyJeleanor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now that the public knows the truth about King Simons death what will become of the Royal family? Follows on from the events of Season 2 with my interpretation of what could have happened following 2x10.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aftermath

Eleanor felt Jasper move beside her and had to force herself to swallow the lump in her throat before she turned to face him. As she did so she felt him squeeze her hand momentarily in a show of support, and with it she felt fresh tears stinging her eyes.

‘We need to get you out of here,’ Jasper told her, ‘the crowd are getting violent.’  
Jasper watched Eleanor flinch slightly at the word violent and he kicked himself the second the word came out of his mouth. ‘There’s a car waiting for us, James has taken Liam and Helena back to the palace.’

‘Okay,’ Eleanor whispered, barely able to form a coherent sentence. For a few moments they both stood staring at each other, a thousand unspoken words flying around the air between them.

Jasper knew that he had to let go of her hand, but the thought physically pained him. He didn’t know if he would ever get the chance to do so again. When he had felt Eleanor’s soft hand touching his he had frozen, sure that it was a mistake and that she would quickly retract, but to his surprise he had felt her delicate fingers wrap around his, her grip firm and strong around his hand. It had taken him a few moments to react, his body in shock from her contact, but as soon as he had recovered his fingers had curled around hers, holding on for dear life. He’d felt his heart clench in his chest, knowing that the simple interaction spoke volumes about Eleanor’s attitude towards him. She was in pain, watching the world crumble around her and during that moment when she was suffering she had reached out to him. For him. That knowledge made Jasper feel lighter than he had in years.

Now, he gave her hand another squeeze before he released his grip and let Eleanor’s hand fall away from his, feeling as if he had let a part of his heart go with it. Without thinking he reached forward with his now free hand and gently moved a stray strand of hair away from Eleanor’s face, giving her one last loaded look before turning to collect his phone and disconnect the computer.

When Jasper’s back was towards her Eleanor had to close her eyes briefly to suppress the emotions rising inside her at Jasper’s simple touch, feeling the loss of his hand in hers like a physical ache. When she opened her eyes she saw Jasper waiting for her beside the door, but there was nothing but understanding in his eyes. No smugness that he had been the one to catch her father’s killer or irritation at her slow pace.

‘I’m right here. I won’t let them hurt you,’ Jasper assured her before stepping forwards to open the door of the media office, instinctively moving his body in front of hers slightly as he checked if the coast was clear. He turned briefly and although he remained quiet the question was evident in his eyes. ‘You ready to face them?’

Eleanor had nodded once and stepped closer to his back, ready to follow him through the madness. It was quiet for a few minutes as they left the security area, but as soon as they neared the stands they encountered chaos. The noise was overwhelming, thousands of people screaming and chanting as they bustled past each other roughly. Eleanor didn’t have time to try and cover her ears before the bright, burning light of a camera flash hit her. Squinting, she stumbled slightly as her eyes tried to adjust, the searing yellow light remaining in her vision as she watched Jasper turn to look at her quickly, making sure she was still behind him before he shoved the photographers out of the way.

Eleanor tried to keep her head down as she continued to follow Jasper, trying to avoid the stares of the public and the photographers, all trying to get a glimpse of the princess’s reaction to the day’s events. As she moved through the crowd she keep her focus on Jasper’s presence in front of her, trying her hardest to block out her surroundings.

Jasper caught a photographer trying to get close to Eleanor out of the corner of his eye and moved to push him away before turning to clear Eleanor’s path from the other side. His shouting was ignored by the paparazzi completely but that didn’t surprise him, those scumbags thought they were untouchable. The defensive urge he had to protect Eleanor was powering through his bloodstream and he knew he wouldn’t be able to breathe easily until she was safely back at the palace. As he turned to face her again he caught sight of the distress on her face and the way she was trying to cover herself, so he moved his position so that he could wrap his arm around her waist, shielding her from the photographers on one side while guiding her through the crowd.

As Eleanor felt Jaspers strong arm wind around her waist and pull her tightly into his side she felt immediately comforted, as if she had been wrapped in a shield to protect her from the outside world. Glancing up she saw the look of determination on Jasper’s face, the way he was forcefully moving people away while keep his grip on her gentle and supportive rather than forceful. However, as she looked up at him she suddenly found that she couldn’t look away, her eyes following Jasper’s face intently. She was surprised to find her stress fading away as she watched him and she knew without a doubt that she would get out of the stadium safely. She felt a smile pull at her mouth as she realised that after everything Jasper had chosen to stay – chosen protecting her family over the diamonds he’d originally been intent on stealing.

That wasn’t the only thing she realised in that moment. As she stared at him she felt a wave of emotions and realisations hit her at once, distracting her from the scene around her. She realised firstly that Jasper had been there for her throughout the day, just as he had promised he would be, and that all of his actions had been focussed on keeping her safe and protected. But, as she thought about it he had never stop protecting her, despite his original intentions. He’d stayed after the truth had come out about him even though he could have been arrested and he’d returned her earrings to her. But what did it all mean?

It had taken a long time for their car to make its way out of the stadium, paparazzi and members of the public blocking the road and banging insistently on the car. Although Eleanor knew they couldn’t see her it had scared her slightly when one photographs camera had bumped against her window, the bright light illuminating the car’s interior briefly. It had made her jump and she’d moved towards the middle of the back seat without thinking, bringing her into contact with Jasper’s side. The strength and warmth of his solid body beside her had reassured her immediately and when he tentatively wrapped an arm around her shoulders she had felt herself relaxing. His soft mutterings of reassurances slowed her racing heart and she couldn’t resist the urge to curl into his body slightly, feeling safe within the protection of his embrace.

When their car pulled up inside the palace gates Jasper felt conflicted – he was relieved that Eleanor was back safely but at the same time he felt his heart sink at what was coming. He felt Eleanor easing away from his body and noticed how she avoided his gaze. He felt the weight in his chest increase but he knew that it was for the best, if Eleanor got any closer he knew it would be impossible to leave.

Eleanor shivered as cold air rushed into the car as Jasper got out and when he opened the door for her she had to take a moment before her legs felt strong enough to hold her up. The day’s events had worn her out both physically and mentally and she felt so confused. It both surprised and alarmed her that Jasper was stuck in her mind, the shining force of bravery and strength throughout the day. She remained silent as they walked back to her room and once they reached her bedroom Jasper opened her doors for her wordlessly, stepping aside to let her pass him. As she stepped into her room her mind was whirring, trying to think of a coherent way to express her feelings, but before she had a chance to voice anything another voice interrupted her.

‘Eleanor!’ Her brother’s relieved exclamation shocked her slightly and it took her a moment to turn and face him, his arms embracing her before she had chance to react. Once his arms wrapped around her she felt her legs buckle beneath her, her head collapsing onto his shoulder as she let out a breath she didn’t realise she had been holding now that she knew he was safe.

‘I’ll leave you two alone.’ Jasper’s husky voice barely registered with Eleanor as she felt exhaustion overwhelming her.

‘Are you okay?’ she asked in a hoarse voice, tears flowing freely as she gripped onto her brother.

‘Yeah, I think so,’ Liam replied, squeezing his sister tightly.

Jasper took one last, long look at the siblings before him before he turned abruptly and walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him before leaning back on the solid wood for a few moments to try and clear his head. ‘This is what she wants,’ Jasper told himself, ‘it’s what she needs.’ That thought drove him forwards and gave him the strength to make his way down the corridor and away from her room.

Eleanor let out a deep breath as she tried to process her brother’s explanation of the day, relieved that he hadn’t reacted differently when in the car with Ted. ‘I’m so proud of you,’ Eleanor whispered to Liam earnestly, ‘and I know dad would be proud of you too.’ She watched as her brother smiled weakly at her before standing up out of her armchair.

‘He’d be proud of you too Len,’ Liam replied softly, ‘for being so strong throughout all of this.’

With a scoff Eleanor shook her head gently, ‘l wasn’t the strong one. I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t press play on that video.’ When Liam gave her a confused look she continued, ‘Jasper did it, he knew I couldn’t. If he hadn’t of been there the video would never have played.’

‘If Jasper wasn’t here none of it would have happened. We wouldn’t know the truth,’ Liam acknowledged, watching his sister carefully. ‘He came through on his promise Len. He promised to find out truth and he did, he wouldn’t stop until he found it even when it put his job and his life in jeopardy.’

Eleanor felt her heart clench at her brothers words, tears pricking the back of her eyes for what felt like the thousandth time that day. ‘That wasn’t the only promise he made good on today,’ she whispered, more to herself than Liam.

‘You should talk to him Len, I think you might be surprised by what he has to say,’ Liam suggested as he reached down to hug his sister once more before making his way out of her room.

As Eleanor watched him leave she thought about his words, her mind whirring. She knew she needed to talk to him but what would she say? Deciding that she would think about that later she got up slowly and walked to her doors to find him.

‘Please, just promise me you’ll give this to her,’ Jasper practically pleaded as he handed the small white envelope over.

‘I’ll give it to her,’ Mr Hill replied solemnly, ‘but I still think you should say your piece in person.’

Jasper felt moisture in his eyes and lowered his head, embarrassed to be showing so much emotion and vulnerability in front of the man he respected so much. ‘I can’t,’ he replied in a shaky voice, pushing past the lump in his throat. Trying to pull himself together he shook his head briefly, ‘I tried my best to prove myself but I know it’s not enough, what I’ve put her through is unforgivable. She’s asked me to leave and I know it’s what’s best for her. I want her to be able to forget about me, she deserves a fresh start.’

‘And what about you?’ James asked quietly, ‘are you going to get a fresh start?’

Scoffing slightly Jasper gave a pained smile. He tried to speak but the words got stuck in his throat and he had to take a moment to compose himself, ‘I don’t think Eleanor will be very easy to forget about.’

‘Look after her,’ Jasper told James seriously, surprised when the other man moved forwards to embrace him.

‘I will, I promise,’ James replied as he clapped his hands on Jasper’s back. He knew how difficult this was for him and he was surprised he was going without a fuss. It proved how much he loved the Princess that he was willing to break his own heart in order to protect hers. ‘But let’s be honest, we both know you’ll always be keeping an eye on her, even if it’s from a distance.’

Pulling away Jasper couldn’t even deny James’s claim. The other bodyguard gave a knowing smile, ‘good luck.’

Nodding his thanks Jasper turned on his heel, knowing if he didn’t leave now he’d try and find an excuse to stay. He had to get away from the palace as quickly as he could. It was like ripping off a band aid, the faster you did it the easier it was to recover right?

Eleanor felt her stomach churn as she heard the conversation outside her door, her earlier conversation with Jasper playing over in her mind. She’d asked him to leave, she knew it was for the best, so why did she now feel like she was losing something vital to her survival? Losing something she didn’t want to lose, despite what she kept trying to tell herself.

She stood quietly for a few minutes, trying to process what she had just heard. He was doing what she had asked, but was he really going to just disappear into the night without so much as a goodbye? Pulling open her doors she watched as her bodyguard turned to face her, a knowing look in his eyes. ‘I’m guessing you heard that Princess?’ he asked rhetorically, reaching into his pocket to pull out the envelope. ‘He asked me to give you this.’

Staring at the envelope for a few moments Eleanor felt her anger start to rise until it was simmering in the pit of her stomach. ‘So he’s gone?’ she asked, despite already knowing the answer. When James nodded his head in response she scoffed, running a hand through her hair hastily. She knew it wasn’t justified to be mad at him for doing what she had asked but she was furious that he hadn’t at least had the curtesy to say whatever was in that envelope to her face.

‘I would have never pegged Mr Frost as a coward, but clearly I was wrong,’ James muttered, turning away from Eleanor to return to his post, a smirk forming on his face as he predicted her next steps. As if on cue Eleanor stretched out her arm to snatch the letter out of his grip before she began storming down the corridor, determination flashing in her eyes. ‘Well he’s not being a coward about this.’

‘Jasper!’ Eleanor’s voice startled him from behind and he stopped abruptly in his tracks. He hadn’t expected to hear her voice again. He stood still with his back to her until she shouted his name again, the anger in her voice forcing him to turn and face her. When he did so he was surprised by the fury he could clearly see burning in her emerald eyes.

‘What the hell is this?’ she asked angrily, waving the envelope in front of her in question.  
Seeing the envelope Jasper felt his stomach drop. He had wanted to make his feelings clear and apologise properly to her, but clearly she hadn’t appreciated his honesty.

Eleanor rose her eyebrows in impatience when Jasper simply stared at her, making no attempt to even try and justify his actions. ‘Well? Is this what you think classes as a goodbye?’

Eleanor watched as Jasper’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion for a moment before he masked it, but he still didn’t reply to her questions. Feeling her rage boiling furiously inside her she clenched her jaw momentarily before she continued, ‘after everything we’ve been through I can’t believe you were just going to leave without so much as a goodbye in person. I thought I saw a different side to you today but clearly I was wrong, you don’t care about anyone but yourself.’ With that Eleanor threw the envelope down on the floor in front of him and turned on her heel quickly.

Jasper had to take a second to process her words. Did she really believe he didn’t care about her after everything he’d written? Looking down at the slightly crumpled envelope lying on the floor by his feet he noticed something, bending down to pick it up.

‘Eleanor,’ he shouted, moving forwards to follow her. When she ignored him he reached out to grab her arm gently, stopping her in her tracks.

‘What?’ she spat out, meeting his gaze fearlessly.

‘You haven’t even read it?’ Jasper asked incredulously, indicating to the paper in his hand.  
‘Why should I Jasper? If you can’t give me the curtesy of a goodbye why should I do the curtesy of reading it?’ she replied angrily.

‘I was doing as you asked! You asked me to leave as soon as today was over and so that’s what I was doing!’ Jasper replied, trying to control his voice. Eleanor was breathing heavily in front of him and although he knew that she was extremely angry with him he could also see the hint of tears forming in her eyes. ‘Look, I’m leaving because I would do anything for you Eleanor and this was your request. I left the letter because I wanted to be honest with and tell you the truth, but I didn’t know if you wanted to hear it. This way you can read it if you want or you can destroy the letter and forget about it. Forget about me. Whichever makes you happy.’ His voice faltered on the last part, emotion welling in his throat at the thought of Eleanor forgetting about him, as he knew she soon would.

‘I want to hear it,’ Eleanor replied, her fury fading as she saw the sincerity in Jasper’s eyes. She knew she shouldn’t but for some reason she found herself believing that he would tell her truth.

Hearing her request Jasper released her arm and stepped back slightly, swallowing to try and dislodge the lump in his throat. He didn’t know where to start, it was so different saying the words out loud compared to writing them down. ‘I, I’m so sorry Eleanor for all of the pain that I’ve caused you. I hate myself for what I’ve done to you and if I could go back and change things I would have done everything differently.’

Eleanor felt her heart thudding against her rib cage as she heard Jasper’s softly spoken apology. ‘You mean you wouldn’t have tried to rob me?’ she asked sarcastically, although her voice came out quiet.

Shaking his head Jasper blinked a few times to hold back the moisture pricking the back of his eyes. ‘No,’ he replied softly. ‘I don’t care about diamonds or money anymore, I care about you,’ he added in a whisper.

Eleanor’s eyes widened slightly at his confession and when she started to shake her head Jasper continued, determined now. ‘I do Eleanor! You are worthy of anything you should ever set your heart on and you’re definitely worthy of love, no matter what you think. You’re strong, courageous and beautiful and,’ Jasper had to pause briefly to try and hold the tears again, ‘and I’ll miss you every day. But you deserve to have an amazing life and I hope you have one.’

With that Jasper gave her a weak smile before he reached out to press the envelope into her hand, squeezing her fingers around it tightly. His hand lingered for longer than necessary and his eyes held her gaze for longer than they should have but he had to take a few moments to build up the strength to walk away from the woman he knew he would love for the rest of his life.

‘Goodbye Eleanor,’ he whispered, leaning forwards to press a soft kiss on her forehead, pleased when she didn’t push him away as he had expected. With one last look he turned again and began walking away, feeling hot tears on his cheeks as his strength to hold them back deteriorated.

Eleanor let out a short sigh as Jasper dropped her hand and she felt panic start to flood her veins as she watched him turn and start to walk down the corridor.  
‘You should stay,’ she shouted suddenly at his back, ‘Liam needs someone who he can trust protecting him. Someone who can help him get through the next few weeks.’ She didn’t know what it was that had motivated her to say those words, but she knew she didn’t want to look too deeply into it right now.

Jasper stopped abruptly at Eleanor’s words, moving his hand to swiftly remove the evidence of his tears. Moving to face her again he gave her a questioning glance, ‘did you just say I could stay?’

‘Yes, for Liam,’ Eleanor replied quickly, avoiding his gaze. Before she said anything she would regret she added, ‘good night Jasper,’ before turning herself to make her way back to her bedroom, relieved that he was going to stay. She knew she should have been pleased that he had been about to leave but she didn’t want to analyse her change of opinion right now. She had plenty of time to think about that tomorrow.

Jasper felt a smile pull at the corners of his mouth as he watched her retreating back. He doubted that Liam would want him as his bodyguard anymore now that he knew the truth about why he had come to the palace and he was sure Eleanor knew that. Clearly there was another reason she wanted him to stay, but he smiled at her deflection. If he could stay he would have plenty of time to find out the truth.


	2. Caught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who read the first chapter! I hope you enjoy this too :)

‘Your highness, I think you need to see this.’

Eleanor looked up from her reflection in her vanity mirror to face her bodyguard. His face was composed, but the slight stiffness to his posture alerted her that it was something serious. She didn’t speak as she rose and walked towards him, following him down the corridor obediently as apprehension rose like bile up her throat.

‘James,’ she called out to him once they were out of her room, stopping his movements as he turned to face her.

‘Yes your highness?’ he asked, his query evident in his voice.

‘I thought I told you that you can call me Len,’ Eleanor mockingly scolded him, ‘I think we’re past pleasantries don’t you?’

‘Very well your high- Len,’ James corrected himself.

‘How are you doing?’ Eleanor asked him, her voice gentle but sincere, ‘after everything that happened yesterday.’

‘I’m happy that you and your family are safe,’ James replied with a small smile. ‘How are you doing?’

‘I’m okay,’ Eleanor answered quietly, knowing that she wasn’t being entirely truthful. She didn’t know how she was feeling, there were too many thoughts and emotions flying around her mind to make sense of – her feelings towards Jasper and the way he had stuck with her throughout the day, the way Liam had so nearly gotten himself killed but had chosen not to give into revenge and the sight of thousands of people charging towards Ted like Lions attacking a weak antelope.

‘If you ever need someone to talk to I’m here,’ James told her, ‘not as a bodyguard but as a friend. If you see me as such.’

Eleanor couldn’t help but smile at that, ‘I think you’re the only friend I’ve ever had who I didn’t meet while I was drunk or high and who hasn’t tried to trick me.’

‘Not yet at least,’ James replied with a wink. Eleanor laughed at that, knowing completely that he was joking. Her instincts told her to trust him and she knew that for once they were right. It felt nice to have someone around who she knew she could rely on.

As Eleanor entered the door James held open for her she still had a small smile on her face from their jokey banter, but the second she saw her mother and brother’s anxious faces as they turned to face her she felt that smile drop away. It took her a few moments to realise that a television had been set up in front of one of the sofas, the screen paused on a news article.

**‘King’s murderer confirmed dead’**

As her eyes flickered over the words on the screen she felt a shiver run down her spine and she let out an uncontrollable gasp of shock. The next few moments passed in a blur. She didn’t even realise that her legs had begun to give way until Jasper had lurched forwards from the side of the room to catch her, his arm a supportive weight around her waist as he held her up.

Jasper had sensed her shock as soon as her eyes had reached the television and his instincts had taken over as he had moved towards her. As he moved to lower her into a nearby seat he felt anxiety knowing at his insides. Her face was white as snow, her eyes wide and glazed over and her skin had a sheen of moisture despite her shivering.

‘Eleanor?’ he asked carefully, trying to pull her from her shocked trance. It took her a few attempts at blinking before her eyes actually focussed on him, but when she did he immediately saw the sorrow in her emerald eyes.

‘Ted’s dead,’ she muttered as she looked up at him. Her words were not a question nor a statement, but instead it was as if she was testing the words out. Seeing how they sounded.

Nodding Jasper didn’t look away, his face solemn. As soon as he had heard the news he had felt a feeling of dread, knowing that someone was going to have to tell Eleanor and that she wouldn’t welcome the news. Her mother had barely reacted, her only words on the matter to Liam being, ‘well he definitely is not in the place where your father is right now.’ Liam’s reaction however had surprised him. He had expected Liam to be pleased with the news, given that he had been so focussed on getting revenge. However, although Jasper could tell a weight had been lifted from Liam’s shoulders the young Royal hadn’t gloated, instead saying he hoped Ted had not suffered too much pain before he died. It proved how mature Liam had become since his father’s death and it showed to Jasper what a compassionate King he may become. Unlike his son of a bitch uncle who currently sat on the throne. Cyrus hadn’t even batted an eyelid at the news, muttering something about how why should he care, he had never liked the head of security anyway.  
However, as he expected Eleanor’s reaction was the most severe. Her reaction had nothing to do with her royal status, it was purely one of compassion and shock. Purely emotion.

‘Do you want to watch the video?’ Helena’s words brought him out of his thoughts and Jasper was relieved to see it appeared to have partly done the same for Eleanor. She was at least somewhat in the room now.

Nodding Eleanor tried to keep the tears she could feel stinging her eyes at bay, her thoughts whirring. As she watched the screen, seeing the footage of the crowds charging towards Ted at the stadium and the then the single reporter stood outside the hospital, she felt the air tearing at her lungs. _Had she done this? What was going to happen now? Who was going to tell Ophelia?_

As hundreds of different questions raced through her head she urgently pushed herself to her feet, beginning to make her way out of the room on shaky legs. She didn’t even realise that she was about to collapse again until Jaspers arm caught her again. Without a word he led her from the room, supporting her down the corridor until he was sure she could stand on her own.

As she leant against the wall for support she dragged in desperate breaths, her head spinning as she tried to contemplate the news.

Jasper felt hopelessness rising inside of him and he cursed himself for not knowing what to do. She was shaking now and he knew if he didn’t distract her she was going into a full state of shock.

‘You shouldn’t feel guilty about this, you didn’t play that video. This isn’t your fault,’ Jasper told her passionately, desperate to make her see that she wasn’t to blame for what had happened.

‘But I was involved in the plan, I-’ she replied in a tearful voice before Jasper interrupted her.

‘This is not your guilt to bare! It’s mine.’

Eleanor met his gaze slowly, her eyebrows furrowing over shimmering eyes. ‘Why did you do it? Why did you press that button for me?’

‘You said yourself that pressing that button would officially involve you in the family business,’ Jasper replied, ‘this way you don’t have to be. You can choose your own path if you so choose.’ He was pleased to see that she was back to herself and that the shaking had stopped.

Shaking her head solemnly Eleanor sighed, ‘there’s no way out for me, I’m in too deep. I’ve done and seen too many things to walk away.’

‘I’ve too have done a lot of things that I feel guilty for but my actions haven’t benefitted anyone other than myself. Everything you have done was to protect or defend someone else and so you shouldn’t feel guilty about your actions. I might as well add to my guilty list to keep yours clear, at least this benefits the person I love,’ Jasper explained simply.

‘Believe me my list is far from-,’ Eleanor began, before his words hit her like a train. Did he just say love? ‘What did you just say?’ she asked incredulously after a few moments, her mind whirring.

Jasper swallowed deeply as he met Eleanor’s loaded gaze. He hadn’t meant to say it but somehow the words had escaped his mouth. ‘You heard me,’ he whispered, taking a step closer to her. ‘I love you Eleanor.’

Eleanor had to consciously tell herself to close her mouth after what felt like hours of her standing staring at Jasper. When she finally managed to claw back control of her body and her thoughts she closed her eyes briefly, the things she could see in Jasper’s eyes was too much for her. ‘I’ve already told you that you can stay, you don’t have to-‘ she began, before Jasper interrupted.

‘Open your eyes Eleanor,’ Jasper murmured quietly. Eleanor felt his gentle fingers on her cheek and sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes flying open immediately to meet his again.

‘You think I’m lying?’ Jasper asked carefully. When Eleanor remained silent he continued, his palm a comforting weight on her cheek. The feel of her soft skin beneath his had Jasper’s heart pounding in his chest, despite the simplicity of the gesture. He yearned to pull her closer, to press his lips against hers, but he knew that in this moment he had to be wary. The only thing that mattered was making sure she knew the truth.

He had been afraid to say the words for weeks, months even, scared of her reaction. But somehow he had let the words slip and now that he had he felt a weight lift from his chest. If he had known how light it would make him feel to say the words out loud he would have admitted them a long time ago.

‘Eleanor I promised myself I would stop lying to you on the day of your birthday party, once everything was out in the open. I’m going to stick to that promise no matter what; I’ve lied to you enough for one lifetime.’ Unconsciously his fingers brushed against her pale skin, itching to explore her body further but he kept his movements restrained. ‘I love you Eleanor, more than I have ever loved anyone or anything in my life before. In fact, compared to this I don’t think I’ve ever felt love. Do you really think I’m lying about this?’

Eleanor had to close her eyes briefly again, tears springing to her eyes at the depth of emotion and sincerity in his voice. She wasn’t sure how but she knew he wasn’t lying to her. For the first time she knew without a doubt that Jasper Frost was telling her the truth. She knew it with every fibre of her being.

Meeting his gaze again Eleanor gently shook her head, her movements slightly restricted by Jasper’s hand still pressed against her cheek. ‘Jasper, I-‘

Shaking his head quickly Jasper moved his hand so that he pressed one finger against her lips in an effort to silence her. ‘You don’t to say anything Eleanor,’ he told her with a small smile, tears prickling the backs of his eyes. ‘So long as I know that you believe me I’m happy. So long as you believe me that you are not unworthy of love.’

Removing his hand from her mouth to try and ease the desperate longing in him to kiss her, he pressed his lips against her forehead instead before taking a large step backwards. ‘Ted’s death is not your fault and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it. Promise me you won’t let that guilt weigh you down.’

Confused by the sudden backtrack of the conversation it took Eleanor a few seconds to respond. Had he changed the subject because he was scared of her response? ‘What about you?’ she asked when her mind caught up.

‘What about me?’ Jasper asked, as if his own feelings hadn’t even crossed his mind.

‘The guilt. You shouldn’t have to bare it either. None of this is your fault, this is what my family does and gets involved in. You helped us and you shouldn’t have to feel bad about that.’

Smiling slightly Jasper looked away for a few seconds before meeting her gaze again, his eyes fierce. When he spoke his voice was rough, ‘I don’t feel bad about helping you Eleanor, I will do anything to make sure you’re safe. The guilt I feel about Ted is nothing compared to the guilt I would feel if I let something happen to you.’

Jasper barely had a chance to take a breath before what happened next. Eleanor crossed the short distance between them in less than a second, her lips pressing against his before he realised what was happening.

Eleanor hadn’t meant to kiss him. The action hadn’t been a conscious one, but rather her body reacting before she had a chance to stop it. However, the second her body met Jasper’s she knew it had been the right one, her heart leaping as their lips finally touched again after months apart.

Jasper’s hands wound around Eleanor’s tiny waist instinctively, his mouth responding to hers as his blood fired up in his veins immediately. One of her arms had wrapped around his neck while the other held onto lapels of his suit jacket, trying to pull him impossibly closer. He wasn’t complaining.

Their other kisses had been a part of a game of control and power, but this one was different and they both felt that change immediately. This wasn’t about trying to get one up on the other or about point scoring but it was about them being equal.

After what felt like hours Jasper pulled his head away. As much as he didn’t want to his lungs were burning in their desperate need for oxygen and he needed the opportunity to drag in a much needed breath. As his eyes opened and he looked down at Eleanor he smiled as he noticed her flushed cheeks and reddened mouth. He didn’t know what had made her make that first move and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ask, but the curiosity got the better of him after a few moments.

Once they had disentangled and had both had the chance to compose themselves at least slightly he felt a small smile tug at his mouth but before he could ask he heard the distinctive noise of someone purposely clearing their throat behind him.

Both Eleanor and Jasper’s head spun towards the noise at the exact same moments, both pairs of eyes widening as they saw the person responsible for the noise.

‘I was just coming to make sure you were okay Eleanor, but clearly Jasper has got it covered.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own The Royals or any of the characters. Please do not steal this work.  
> Thanks for reading, I hope you are enjoying it!


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